Involuntary part-time work

A minority of involuntary part-timers search for full-time work

• In 2005, one in four part-timers (758,000 people, representing 4.7% of all those employed) stated a preference to be working full time. Less than one-third of these involuntary part-timers actually looked for a full-time job.
• The vast majority of involuntary part-timers were youth and women aged 25 to 54. Both of these groups display seasonal patterns: the number of young involuntary part-timers increases during the summer months when full-time hours are preferred, while the number of adult female involuntary part-time workers peaks in the fall, when children return to school.
• Involuntary part-time work rises and falls with the unemployment rate, an indication that people are forced into part-time work when economic conditions worsen. Involuntary part-time work is more common in the Atlantic provinces, where unemployment rates are generally above average.

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